Knowledge Graph-Enabled Outcome-Based Education in Civil Engineering: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Abstract

Civil engineering programs increasingly operate under outcome-based education regimes aligned to accreditation standards such as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s student outcomes. However, curriculum maps, assessment artifacts, and learning resources are often siloed, impeding transparent alignment and evidence-based improvement. This paper presents a design science study that builds and evaluates an outcome-based education aware knowledge graph for civil engineering. A three-phase pipeline is proposed: (i) domain scoping and consensus building via a Delphi study to elicit outcome indicators and alignment rules; (ii) knowledge graph schema engineering and population in Neo4j; and (iii) an online user study in which instructors and students use knowledge graph driven analytics and queries to support course design, assessment alignment, and self-regulated learning. The approach operationalizes constructive alignment by linking course learning outcomes to program learning outcomes and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology outcomes, assessments, prerequisite structures, and canonical domain concepts. The design choices are grounded in recent reviews of knowledge graph construction and reasoning and in official outcome-based education guidance. Results indicate that a knowledge graph enabled workflow improves traceability from outcomes to assessments and resources, reduces alignment gaps reported by instructors, and supports fine grained coverage analytics. Implications for scalable curriculum governance in civil engineering are discussed.